2012 Presidential Campaign Blog

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Texas Gov. Rick Perry: It Is Time to Get America Working Again
Perry Begins Iowa Campaign, Will Barnstorm State for Three Days

WATERLOO, IOWA – Texas Gov. Rick Perry brought his presidential campaign to Iowa today, just one day after launching his bid for the presidency. Perry’s three-day visit takes him to Waterloo today; the State Fair in Des Moines on Monday, in addition to visits to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, and; stops in Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Walcott on Tuesday.

“Because I have immense respect for the Iowa Caucuses, and the role you play in vetting the candidates for the rest of the nation, you can bet I will campaign in this state like my life depended upon it,” said Perry.

“It is time to get America working again. It is time for Americans to believe again – to believe that the promise of our future is far greater than even the best days of our past. It is time to believe again in the potential of private enterprise, set free from the shackles of an overbearing federal government. And it is time to truly restore our standing in the world and renew our faith in freedom as the best hope of peace in a world beset with strife.”

Perry underscored the urgent need for new leadership in light of the continued uncertainty and instability in the U.S. economy, continued overreach by an increasingly intrusive federal government into the lives of Americans and the rights of the states, and the misguided policies that are harming the future prosperity of our country.

“One in six work-eligible Americans cannot find a full-time job,” Perry continued. “That is not a recovery, that is an economic disaster.”

Joined by his wife, Anita, and their two children Griffin and Sydney, Perry talked about his experience running for Commissioner of Agriculture in Texas twice, saying, “I spent a lot of time traveling to small town diners, potluck suppers and pretty much anywhere two or more voters gathered together.” He said he would do the same in Iowa.

In Waterloo, Perry defended the Tea Party message, voicing his frustration with the federal government’s out-of-control spending and failed economic policies. “We’re indignant about a government that borrows trillions of dollars because they don’t have the courage to say no. We’re indignant about failed stimulus plans that have prolonged our economic misery. We’re indignant that Iowa companies like Rockwell Collins, HNI Corporation and Heartland Express hit their 52-week low on this week’s stock market because of our president’s failed experiment in Keynesian economics.”

Cain Responds to Ames Straw Poll Results

(Ames, IA)- Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain responded to the results of the Ames Straw poll, saying:

We are very pleased with the outcome of the Ames Straw Poll yesterday. Our campaign spent significantly less than those who spent millions, and we still finished in the top half of the field. While some spent weeks on television and radio using paid media, we spent exactly $0 on either and still performed quite well.

We are encouraged by the outpouring of support during our bus tour throughout the state of Iowa. We drove more than 1,800 miles in less than a week and at each stop, the crowds grew bigger and bigger.

I would like to congratulate Congresswoman Bachmann for her impressive victory in the straw poll. Her message is an important message for the conservative movement, and I am honored to be competing with her for the Republican nomination.

I also wish Governor Pawlenty the very best. He was a formidable competitor and truly a fine man. I enjoyed getting to know him and will forever consider him a friend.

I appreciate the hospitality from the great folks in Iowa who I enjoyed visiting for the 27th time since the beginning of this year. This is just the beginning of our efforts in Iowa, and I look forward to spending more time here in the months leading up to the caucus.

This election is about 'we the people,' not 'we the political class.' As such, I will continue to champion the people's interests.